Kono
by Scarletta24
Summary: Kono Yuki moves to a little town. This story details her life in that town as she meets new people and yokai, and learns when to let go and hold on.
1. The Beginning

Natsume first saw her on a cold autumn afternoon, resting beneath the branches of a tree. A book lay on her face; it looked worn and old, almost ancient in fact. She was dressed simply in jeans and a jacket to defend against the cold. Natsume hadn't meant to spy on her, he'd simply seen a strange figure in the corner of his eyes. She looked as though she were peacefully napping.

"What are you looking at, Natsume?" Nyanko-sensei trotted up casually, before he stopped and paused for a second. Natsume didn't notice this peculiar action as he responded.

"There's a girl. I don't think I've seen her in town before."

Though Natsume had only lived about a year in this small town, he'd come to know many people and he had never seen this girl, who seemed perfectly at peace in this forest full of yokai. Natsume even wondered if maybe he was wrong. Perhaps he had mistaken another yokai for a human?

"A human girl, hmm? Is she more important than peach buns?" Natsume sighed. The pair had been on their way to Nanatsuji to buy peach buns as a snack. When it came to these trips, Nyanko-sensei was always impatient and close-minded; he even insisted they take a shorter path through the forest every single time.

"Nyanko-sensei..." Natsume began disapprovingly before the other cut him off and started running off. "Nyanko-sensei...!"

Natsume's surprised yell wasn't very loud, but behind him he heard the sound of a book falling onto the ground. Turning back, he looked into the eyes of a girl who seemed more lost in thought than sleepy.

There was moment of silence while Natsume attempted to come up with something. The girl beat him to it.

"What a strange name for a cat." She said it simply and bluntly. Natsume nervously laughed.

"May I ask you a favor?" She continued. "I recently moved here, so I don't know my way out. Would you help me find the road?"

Natsume agreed. He remembered getting lost in these woods himself and feeling scared when it became darker and darker. Though this girl seemed calm, he thought anyone would feel scared to be lost in the dark.

While Natsume led the way (eventually, Nyanko-sensei came back with a huff of exasperation), he made small talk with her. He found that they were the same age, and she would be transferring into the same school. Natsume also found that unless he asked directly, the girl wouldn't say a single word. Her name was Kono Yuki.

Eventually, a call of greeting came from a passing yokai, who thanked him for some earlier request. Sneaking a glance at Kono to make sure he didn't freak her out, he found, a little to his disappointment, that she didn't notice the yokai. Also, to his relief though, he found her looking up at the sun through the leaves of the trees.

"The forest is quite beautiful." Kono murmured quietly, almost to herself. "Although..."

Kono shook her head and smiled a small smile.

Eventually, Natsume, Nyanko-sensei, and Kono made their way out of the forest. Kono thanked him for guiding her. Natsume modestly received her thanks and decided to recommend Nanatsuji to her. He thought she would become more accustomed to the town if she had an excuse to wander through it.

Then, as the two turned off in different directions, he thought he heard Kono murmur something quietly again.

"So you can see them too..."

Turning back, wondering if he had heard right, he found her already walking away, as if what he heard was all in his mind.

"Strange girl." Nyanko-sensei commented. He sat down on the road, gazing after Kono as well. "She plays a good act."

"Why would she ignore yokai?" Natsume asked, puzzled. But even as he said it, he could guess.

"That is just another reaction toward seeing yokai, Natsume." Nyanko-sensei flicked his paw at his ear. "Most likely, she's had some bad experiences."

Natsume wondered if there was anyone who didn't.

"...Though there is something off about her, I wouldn't mind it." Nyanko-sensei got to his feet again and started trotting off down the road. "People like her want to be left alone."

"..." Natsume looked away from the figure walking off, all alone. Though she had seemed calm the entire time, Natsume didn't think there was never a time when that girl had felt lonely or scared. That there must have been some time when she wanted to reach out, or be reached out to.

"Come on, Natsume! Peach buns! Peach buns!" Nyanko-sensei's happy tone broke into Natsume's thoughts. With some reluctance, he forced the issue from his mind and hurried after Nyanko-sensei.


	2. Classmates

The next day was Monday. And on Monday, Kono Yuki became Natsume's classmate.

There was a hustle and bustle of questions from the class during break, but it became apparent that Kono wasn't looking for friends. By the time break ended, Kono had pulled out a book and had read a good few pages. Natsume, being behind her, could barely see what she was reading, but it looked like it was the same book as yesterday.

The book, on closer inspection, looked worn and old, as if Kono and past generations had leafed through it more than once. The cover was simple; white with some words written upon it. Kono seemed to treat the book delicately. It was an important thing that meant a lot to her.

From then on, Natsume would occasionally see Kono outside of class. She might be in the forest, or strolling around from time to time, and he once saw her buying a small bag of groceries from the store. She was always alone, and then, on another autumn afternoon, he saw her burst out of a row of bushes.

Smudged with dirt, leaves and branches in her hair, she was gasping for breath. Stopping with surprise at the sight of Natsume, she gritted her teeth and seemed to try and run back into the forest that she had just burst out of. But suddenly she was repelled by some force, and she flew back, landing with a roll onto her back several feet away.

Shocked and rushing to her side, Natsume found Kono with her eyes closed and her breathing shallow. Looking up, Natsume came face to face with a dark spectral of a spirit, a floating white mask whose grin curled maliciously. Wavering dark mist poured from behind the mask.

"Hand the girl over to me, or I'll eat you too!" The dark spirit cackled. Natsume stood up against the mask, prepared to defend Kono. "Fine then!"

Bracing for impact, Natsume raised his arms but then heard a loud yelp of pain from the spirit. Looking up, he found Kono on her feet, having punched the spirit. And for a short second, he thought he saw Kono's hair become green and her eyes yellow. He blinked, and her hair was its usual black and her eyes a dark brown.

The spectral screamed in terror as Kono threateningly took a step toward it. Running away, it disappeared into the forest.

Snapping back to his senses, he started to become worried over Kono, who simply interrupted him.

"Thank you. I'm fine." Walking away, Kono had pulled on a stern and uncaring expression, a harsher one than the idle expression of peace that last autumn afternoon.

Natsume wanted to stop her, to help her in some way, but Nyanko-sensei's words came back to him: "People like her want to be left alone."

"K-Kono!" Natsume called out. Once upon a time, he had wanted to be left alone as well. And that was far worse.

Kono turned back, looking slightly angry.

"Please be careful!" Natsume said, before waving goodbye with a big smile. "If you need my help, please ask!"

Kono was shocked, but she quickly pulled the expression away and turned away again. Somewhere in her heart, Natsume hoped that she would remember that.


	3. A Smile

One winter day, at school, Natsume noticed a spirit floating around Kono. She had flowing white hair and red eyes; an albino, Natsume observed. The spirit chattered, unheeded by the fact that Kono seemed to be ignoring her. Except, for the slight upturn of her lips.

Kono was smiling.

Natsume was surprised. For someone who pushed away spirit and human alike, this yokai had manage to bring what was undoubtedly a small smile to Kono's lips.

From then on, wherever Natsume saw Kono, the albino spirit was with her. It seemed to chatter often, though occasionally Natsume could see a quiet expression of sadness on the spirit's face. Every now and then, he could see it in Kono's eyes too.


	4. Goro

Ah, it was a typical conversation between a bullying spirit and lower yokai. There wasn't really anything Kono should do… but for some reason she felt the need to do something. It was a strange impulse that overcame her every now and then.

"Don't talk back to me! You're just weak spirits anyways!" The bully yokai pulled back its arm to hit one of the other yokai. "I'll show you to have respect!"

"Oh, dear, Goro! Where are you!" Kono hurriedly stepped past bushes, wedging herself between the bully and the bullied. Calling out some random pet name, Kono made sure to act like she couldn't see the yokai at all. Blocking the bully's view, she allowed the other two yokai to get away.

"Oh, Goro, you always do this to me!" Finally moving away, Kono left behind the bully yokai confused and somewhat angry.

Chuckling to herself in her head, she continued following a random path through the forest. Although, it wasn't long before she realized the two yokai from before were following her. It was easy to hear their loud whispering.

Kono hadn't really taken note of them before, but she noticed one yokai was like a big single eye with wings. It seemed rather rational and smart, but clumsy too and weak-willed. The small yokai was like a cuddly monster doll. It wasn't especially bright (it was the one loudly whispering), but it was certainly energetic and friendly.

What a nice friendship, Kono thought to herself. But what are they following me for?

She decided to ignore them, and they continued to follow her for days.


	5. Efficiency

Kono, with some annoyance, pushed back her hair as she continued scribbling down notes on her homework. It stubbornly fell back into her eyes, blocking her view. Annoyed, she pulled out a pair of scissors from her desk. Picking up the small trashcan next to her desk, she prepared to cut off part of her bangs.

"Time for a haircut."

Some fifteen minutes later, a nice layer of hair lay within the trashcan. Kono looked over her new hair style. It was short and choppy, and looked irregular in some places. Well. It didn't look nice, but it was efficient enough.

Kono returned to her studies.


	6. How Kind

Kono yawned. She had spent another late night over homework. She just couldn't help enjoying the afternoons outside, peacefully reading her book or napping under a tree. She had spent the past weeks like this, burning the midnight oil.

Looking forward to yet another nap, she yawned again. Her sight blurring over with tears, she blinked them away. Distracted, she felt her foot slip and her body fall forward.

In a second, she had slipped down a small cliff, landing with a splash into a small pond at the bottom. Spluttering, she sat up spitting out water. Thoroughly drenched and wide awake, she crawled out of the pond in an undignified manner.

"…." Kono frowned, as she looked over her clothing. It was dripping pond water and most certainly wouldn't dry for a long while. Heaving a sigh, she got up and began her long walk back. Hopefully she wouldn't catch cold.

—-

She caught a cold.

Kono sniffled. She was lucky it was the weekend. Even if she were sick, she would've gone to school. Ah, but of course she might have stayed home if (she) were here…

Kono shook her head. That was long past. Now, Kono was alone and had only herself to take care of.

She drank her cup of tea slowly. She sat on her window sill, legs hanging out. Her view of the forest from there was amazing, and it gave her peace.

She put down her cup and sneezed. Picking it back up, she took another sip.

It was a peaceful morning.

—

Kono, without meaning to, dozed for a few minutes. When she opened her eyes again, she noticed two yokai attempting to leave some berries on the window sill. Pretending not to notice, she watched as the flying yokai fly away, its companion riding atop its back dropping a few leaves.

Kono recognized them as the yokai that had begun following her since she had "saved" them a while back in the forest. She was unsure what to do, since she knew the yokai would be watching.

…she took the leaves and chewed them down. They were bitter, but she'd tasted worse.

Putting her trust into the yokai, she decided to wash the taste away with the last of her tea. After washing the cup and drying it, she put it away then decided to sleep.

The medicine would work better if she slept, right?

—-

She felt better the next day.


	7. Kono meets Nyanko-sensei

"Nyanko-sensei, wasn't it?" Kono named the cat that had chosen to nap next to her. She had been trying to remember where she had seen such a unique-looking cat, when it clicked that she had seen it the day she met Natsume. Strange guy. Strange cat.

"You remembered." Nyanko-sensei replied.

"...oh." Kono hadn't realized that the cat wasn't a cat.

"I had a question." Nyanko-sensei continued.

"Ask." Kono gave her permission.

"The power you have, it's not entirely your's, is it?"

"You're right." Kono responded simply. "It seems you know why."

"I thought your family was just a legend…" Nyanko-sensei trailed off.

"That's good. Less spirits trying to eat or possess me." Kono said, nodding.

"You have one in you now?" Nyanko-sensei asked.

"Yes. He's not a bad tenant." Kono said, her tone colored with relief. "Though it seems I'll soon be free."

"Will you be able to protect yourself?"

"Of course."

"I see. Then, that's all." Nyanko-sensei got onto his feet and shook himself awake. "I should leave before your snake friend comes back."

"Have a good day." Kono said, returning to her book.

"You too." Nyanko-sensei stalked off into the bushes. The snake spirit soon came back, carrying a load of berries in her arms.

"Hana-san… humans can't eat those…"


	8. How Embarrassing

It wasn't the greatest day Natsume had ever had. Nyanko-sensei had disappeared somewhere again, and now a strange evil spirit had appeared which seemed more hellbent on action than talking.

So Natsume, a peaceful type, was reduced to running as fast as he could through the forest. And unfortunately he found himself in unfamiliar territory. It just wasn't his day…

Natsume jumped over rocks, blew past low-hanging leaves, and pushed past bushes in his haste. He was quick, but the evil spirit was far quicker.

Natsume slipped on a leave and tumbled down a cliff, coming out bruised at the end of his short fall. Even if Natsume hadn't tumbled down, he doubted he could have run. There was no choice… he'd have to fight.

Just as Natsume got to his feet however, he heard the evil spirit scream in pain. With wide eyes, he saw a yellow arrow sticking out of the spirit's head.

The spirit looked up, farther up than where Natsume was standing. Following the spirit's angered gaze, he was shocked to see Kono, kneeling on a branch. She was poised with a glowing yellow bow in hand. She already had another arrow aimed.

"Leave." Kono threatened the spirit with a single word. The spirit, angry, started to yell back, but Kono merely intensified her glare at it. Natsume felt a chill in his heart, as if a cold anger had infiltrated it to the core.

The spirit balked and fled with its tail between its legs, trembling all over.

"Are you okay?" Kono, leaping down from the tree, landed gracefully. Her bow gone, she studied Natsume's shocked expression. "Hm. You seem fine enough."

"Yes… thank you." Natsume got past his surprise and thanked her. Kono waved her hand.

"It's fine. But you shouldn't come here. It seems you aren't familiar with the spirits in this area." Kono advised.

"Are you?"

"No." Kono said, folding her arms. "But your power is easy to sense, and rumours of you spread easily."

"You should be careful too." Natsume replied. "After that…"

"I'll be fine." Kono allowed a smirk to color her lips. "I've dealt with worse."

"How did you do that, by the way?" Natsume asked, curious about the bow.

"The bow, you mean? Well…" Kono frowned, attempting to explain it. "…you don't really need it, but imagine some kind of object appearing. It takes a bit, but it should be easy enough."

"I don't need it?" Natsume asked, confused.

"That technique is more for people with less power. It's a good method to condense it. It packs a punch, so to say." Kono explained. "You… an actual punch would do."

"…" Natsume recalled his past memories and couldn't help sighing.

"It's already happened, hm?" Kono guessed. "Well, practice tonight. It might give you some peace."

"Goodbye." Kono waved her hand as she walked off, leaving Natsume behind.

That night after Natsume had gotten ready for bed, he remembered Kono's words.

…you don't really need it, but imagine some kind of object appearing. It takes a bit, but it should be easy enough.

Natsume felt a little silly, but he closed his eyes and thought about making a bow. He traced an outline of one with his hands. He thought he almost had it when he heard a snickering behind him.

Embarrassed, he stopped there for the night and went to bed.


	9. Thinking too much is a bad habit

Kono was distracted by her thoughts again, twirling her pencil endlessly as she rode the roller coaster of distraction. The snake spirit, who noticed Kono picking up that harmful habit again, took it upon herself to help her out.

*Smack!*

Even Kono couldn't completely ignore such a huge sound so close to her ears. Startled, she dropped the pencil and turned quickly to face the spirit.

"...?...!" Kono's face changed expressions quickly as she began realizing what had happened. Sighing, she thanked the spirit and returned to her studies.


	10. Akihiko and Kono

_Good evening._

Good evening.

 _It's a peaceful night._

It is. Has your rest gone well?

 _Yes, it has. Thank you for asking. I'll be gone in two days' time._

...I see.

 _In that time, I want you to do something for me._

What is it?

 _I want you to find a friend._

...Huh?

 _All this time, even with Hana and I, you've always spent your life alone. As they say, the grass is greener on the other side._

You want someone who's been alone their entire life to make a friend?

 _If you took a look around you, you would find it's easier than you expected._

...I know… but…

 _Yokai and human, does it matter as long as you trust and care for one another?_

I suppose in the end it doesn't.

 _It is in the nature of yokai and humans to crave companionship. Without it, we would all wither away, our unspoken dreams and wishes dying with us._

….

 _I know it will be hard, and you don't have to do this for anyone. In the end, you must do what makes you happy._

But eventually, it will lead to making a friend?

 _Yes._

I see. Then… I'll try.

 _Good. When Hana and I leave…. Don't be too sad. It was merely the end of our time together, but our friendship will last for eternity._

...Thank you.

 _Thank you. Have a good night._

Good night.


	11. Please Stop Taking Care Of Me

Kono sneezed.

"Hey, hey! You should take care of yourself!" The snake spirit nagged Kono as she began preparing tea and bitter medicinal herbs. Kono forced herself to chew down the bitter leaves that the spirit had taken out of her sleeves. And in no time, the tea was ready.

"If you feel unwell, just take the day off!" The spirit nagged again, serving the tea in a little cup. Kono sighed.

"It's okay, Hana-san. It was only a sneeze." Kono said, drinking the tea. Kono had been through this lecture many times before, and knew that the spirit wouldn't quit until she had eaten the medicine and drunk at least five cups of tea. Yes, Kono had counted that. Five. Cups. "I have school tomorrow anyways."

"School, pool." The snake spirit snorted. "You get good grades anyway, just take the day off!"

"If you had it your way, Hana-san, I'd take every other day off." Kono replied, scribbling a note in the margins of her notebook. She drank a cup of tea.

"Kids like you need to be happy, not sitting inside all day stressed over 'grades.'" The spirit complained.

"I don't sit inside all day." Kono pointed out. She drank down another cup of tea."Just for school and homework."

"All you do is nap outside! And you spend hours studying!" The spirit retorted, not without some good points. "Where's the exercise!"

Kono ignored the spirit's persuasive argument. She hurriedly drank down two more cups of tea and then finished up her homework.

"I'm going to bed, good night." Kono mumbled, reaching up to pull on the ceiling lamp's cord.

"Good night. Sleep well."


	12. Getting A Friend, Huh?

Two days had passed and Kono was still hesitating over the spirit's request. As easy as it was to understand it, undertaking it was a completely different issue. It wasn't all that easy to be friendly, you know? Not after years of ignoring and brushing aside everyone.

Kono knew how cold and callous she was. Wasn't it enough to just be alone? Couldn't she live alone, be alone, die alone? Was dying with unspoken wishes so bad?

Kono knew what it was like to live with regrets though. Regretting not being more friendly, regretting not helping another out…

No, emotions like that were heavy and suffocating. What was so good about telling someone else everything anyways? It's not like they would care, right? That kind of stuff wouldn't really concern them, right?

What was it like having a friend anyways? Kono didn't know… she didn't have anyone she could readily call 'a friend.' Friends called each other 'friends', right? Did that mean the two of you started off with an agreement to be friends? But how would you get to that point? And why would anyone want to be friends with someone else?

…

…

…!

It was all too much for Kono to think about, to ponder over, to worry about. But even though Kono had fussed over it every chance she could, she couldn't come up with anything. It was easy to see why, Kono thought to herself. In the end, she had no experience. No experience with having a relationship with anyone.

Kono rarely saw her parents, had no friends, didn't often chatter with the spirit possessing her, and would often rush through conversations with the snake spirit. Yes, in the end, Kono had no idea how to comfortably talk to anyone.

 _Have you somehow reached a conclusion?_

"...Some conclusion, yes."

 _That much is enough._

"Is it? I still don't know how to move forward…"

 _In that case, you should rely on others._

"Others?"

 _Yes. Especially in cases where you want to get to know someone else. If all you do is avoid them, how can you ever get to know them?_

"That does make sense. But who do I even become friends with?"

 _Whoever you'd like. Be they kind, cool, or friendly, become friends with a good person or yokai._

"A good person, huh?"

 _Yes, a good person._

"I see… thank you."

 _Until next time, this is good bye._

The spirit possessing Kono left Kono's body, and while Kono felt no real difference, a part of her felt a little emptier than she was used to. The spirit bowed its head in thanks for her help in its recovery.

The snake spirit, who had been anxiously awaiting her dear friend's return, leapt up and began showering her friend with news and happiness. The two spirits had their happy reunion and, after thanking Kono, soon left to journey the world that they had been traveling ten years before.

"So many things will have changed, Hana."

"So many interesting things have appeared, Akihiko! I must show you this place called Nanatsuji…"

Kono watched the two silhouettes leave long after they had disappeared. One day, she might have a friendship like that. They looked happy and carefree, as if being in the mere presence of the other was enough to send a smile to one's face.

Feeling more confused than ever, Kono clamped down on her emotions and thoughts. She didn't want to think about it anymore. It made her feel as if she were drowning under water, and it was getting too hard to move her limbs.

She needed peace and quiet, a calm setting to sort through her thoughts. Tomorrow, she could try to find it.


	13. A Friend

One quiet morning, Kono lay beneath the leaves of a tree, peacefully reading her old favorite book. The breeze drifted by, carrying the relaxing sound of leaves rustling nearby.

Kono, relaxed for the first time in awhile, closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the world. It rustled and whispered, squeaked and chirped. This sound that she had focused on with all her might had a more carefree tone to it. It was no longer distorted by feelings of annoyance or fear, but rather it flowed on by, almost carelessly.

The sound was sweet to the taste, but then a new sound intruded, coloring the sweetness black. Kono didn't bother opening her eyes, but she was surprised to hear movement near her. The grass crunched underfoot and then someone lay back against a tree. Her tree.

Today and now, Kono had wanted to be alone. And she could finally be alone. But she wasn't. Angry and frustrated, she opened her eyes and sighed. Muttering out some random excuse as if she were talking to herself, she stood up and walked out of the small clearing.

To her relief, the footsteps didn't follow her. She figured she might just pick a new tree. One without any of those spirits or humans. She wanted to be alone, alone, alone.

—

The next day at noon, Kono had found herself a new place. It wasn't half bad. Though the sun's warm rays were blocked by the breeze, a feeling of warmth had colored Kono's heart orange once she spied it. And the feeling of that cool breeze flying past, though it was colder, it somehow made Kono feel much better.

Laying under the leaves that continued dancing their song without restraint, Kono let out a sigh of relief. It was a bit shady to read comfortably, so Kono used the book to block out the rays of sunlight that had sneaked their way through the leaves.

The leaves' song and dance being her lullaby and soothed by the cool breeze, she slowly drifted away to sleep. In this trance-like state, she was able to let thoughts drift like the breeze. She could inspect them as they went past, enjoy and learn from them.

Some were downright ridiculous, and she felt the sides of her lips lift at them. And while some thoughts saddened her heart, she was glad to feel these emotions that she usually held back. Things like caring and hope… they felt so far at times that Kono sometimes wanted to be as emotionless as a robot.

But even still, to be led by emotions wasn't such a bad thing, Kono thought.

And then those same intruding footsteps tore down her lazily happy dream. Under that book, Kono's eyes opened and narrowed.

Why? Why, whenever she was happy and alone and satisfied, did someone or something have to come and ruin it? This was the problem, this was why Kono never wanted to make friends.

Friends were-! Friends were-!

She didn't deserve to have friends.

Kono turned to one side, away from what she had figured was the same spirit as yesterday. Was this coincidence? She didn't care. The book fell to one side, and Kono stared at it. It was old and worn. It had been in her family for generations.

And here it was. Outside, toughing its way through the elements.

Kono muttered to herself an excuse about the book's condition and then sat up. Dusting off the book, she stood up and stalked off. She didn't bother looking at this infuriating spirit. She didn't want to be led by her anger.

—-

Kono stayed inside her third day. Well, mostly inside. She sat on her window sill, her left leg lazily shaking a rhythm as she leaned her back against the frame. The sun was high in the sky, and while mildly warm, the cool breeze lent its relaxing bitterness again.

Kono smiled, relaxed. Here, in this house, no one could interrupt her. While she didn't like being here, she could make do. And this wasn't a bad place at all. Kono couldn't nap here, but she could enjoy the view of the forest.

The trees were like standing bits of broccoli, but the sound of the leaves dancing… even here Kono could hear their dazzling performance. But somewhere close by, was the sound of grass being tread upon. Kono didn't look down, assuming the spirit would eventually go away. Today she could handle. She'd ignore the spirit like any other.

"Hello, up there!"

Startled, Kono looked down, and in doing so, she shifted her balance and fell. The sky suddenly turned upside down and the green grass was the ceiling.

Without another moment to mourn her death, Kono's fall was broken by the spirit who had called out to her. Eyes widened and stunned into silence, Kono looked into the eyes of a human-like spirit with brilliant green eyes.

Kono laughed. The spirit let her down in confusion, and Kono subsided into chuckles.

"I'm sorry, just… haha…"

Kono wiped away a tear from her eyes as she studied the spirit before her. Flaming red hair, small green eyes, dressed in traditional clothing, this spirit was flamboyant without meaning to be.

"Thank you for catching me." Kono said. The spirit only smiled back.

"It was nothing… but as I thought, you can see me." Kono's heart dropped a little at that, but she pushed away that feeling. This was something she couldn't avoid, and one couldn't be guided by their emotions for everything.

"…" Kono smiled and turned around. She started for the front door, but the spirit called out in panic.

"I've heard a lot about you! From Hana!"

Kono stopped. She turned around with a regretful expression on her face.

"Try again."

Kono walked away, leaving the spirit to wallow in overwhelming confusion.

—

The spirit approached her again on her way home from school. She ignored it as it started to follow her. It seemed to have leapt in before thinking of what to say.

"Hana said-"

"Don't mention her." Kono replied immediately without malice.

"….why not?" The spirit asked, sounding as if it were pouting. "I just wanted to get to know Hana's friend."

"….we were friends?" Kono said, her voice betraying not a single emotion.

"Hana said you were?" Now the spirit seemed unsure too.

"…hm." Kono didn't respond to anything else the spirit said. When she got home, the spirit stayed outside. She appreciated the spirit's respect for her privacy.

Doing her homework in the kitchen, she thought over the spirit's words.

'I just wanted to get to know Hana's friend."

Kono rubbed her face with her hands. She couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

"She considered me her friend…?"

—

The next morning, as Kono was heading out for school, she found herself face to face with the spirit again. The spirit still didn't seem to know what to say again, so Kono decided to have the first word.

"Good morning." With that simple greeting, she walked past the spirit.

Kono had decided to give this spirit a chance. A friend of a friend. Through this connection, Kono would try having a simple relationship, maybe even a friendship. However it went, Kono would try it anyway.


	14. Or Maybe

"Good morning." The spirit returned the greeting in kind. "The weather's been nice."

"…mmhm." Okay, so it wasn't as easy to return a simple agreement. Kono felt nervous, and she wanted to run far (far) away now.

"Did you sleep well? I was kind of worried after yesterday…" The spirit trailed away, sounding nervous as well. Kono wanted to quickly soothe the spirit, but that would be too strange, right?

"…I'm fine…" She muttered.

"Really? That's good…" The spirit didn't seem to know what to say after that. Kono didn't say anything else either. Her mind was scrambling for anything to say, but she was drawing a complete blank. So instead she kept her mouth shut so she wouldn't say anything weird.

When they reached the school, the spirit said its goodbyes and then left. Kono almost nodded in return, but quickly held herself back. It would be rather strange to just nod at empty space in the eyes of the other students…

It really wasn't so easy getting to know someone, was it?


	15. Kono's Past

At the age of six, Kono realized that she was very much alone. Her parents, busy with work, would often be away from home. So it would just be Kono alone, her meals and needs taken care of by the next door neighbor or some nearby relative.

Her father being a photographer and her mother a journalist, the two were often in search of material for their work. However, they still wanted to be with their daughter. Attempting to balance their work life and family life, Kono would often pack up her things at every year's end.

Kono was used to this, and it didn't bother her very much. She often ate alone, washing the dishes in the sink because she had nothing better to do. She would play by herself, reading books and watching TV.

She preferred books and writing; it somehow felt right to write down the ideas in her head. Her mother felt proud reading her daughter's writing, and Kono felt a bit of pride at that. Kono also dabbled in drawing, though she never did anything more than doodle. She was satisfied with that.

At the age of six, Kono met Akihiko, a spirit who had been gravely wounded. It was the first time Kono had ever been possessed. Scared and frightened, Kono had no one to turn to- she had never even told anyone but her parents about her ability to see spirits, and they were never home.

So too, a white-haired spirit demanded that Kono shelter the wounded spirit before flying off. Kono was bewildered, and didn't know what to think.

So instead, Kono decided to ignore the voice in her head and to read her favorite book; a history of her ancestors and ways to defend one's self from spirits.

As she turned the page, she came to a stop, reading a section in which her ancestors would allow themselves to be possessed. The spirit could recover from their wounds more quickly while the human could borrow the spirit's power to protect both the spirit and themselves.

Kono paused at that. Is that what was going on? If so, then surely Kono should make some deal with this spirit? Hesitantly, she listened to the voice that had been resounding inside her mind.

 _Have you decided to listen then?_

Kono didn't respond, but the spirit seemed to understand she was listening anyways.

 _Good. I'm sorry to scare you like that, but I was in a hurry. My name is Akihiko, and I would like to possess you. Is that alright?_

"…I don't have choice, right…?" Kono wasn't sure what to say. She couldn't trust such a strange spirit, even if it was awfully kind and polite.

 _You do. You might not know it, but you always have a choice. In this case, I will leave if you say no._

Kono was silent. She had read that spirits came in all forms and personalities, but most didn't like relying on humans. In a way, they were almost 'prideful.'

"You can stay. But…please don't make too much trouble for me." Kono agreed. After all, she could tell the spirit was barely keeping himself together. His voice was tight with pain, despite his smooth replies.

 _Thank you._

The spirit was silent after that. Kono too didn't speak. She wasn't quite sure what she would say anyways.

At that moment, the white-haired spirit burst in, carrying an armful of herbs.

"It's done then? You've accepted? Good! Now, eat all this and take it easy.

This was Kono's first meeting with Hana and Akihiko.


	16. A Postcard

When Kono returned home one evening, she found a postcard in the mailbox. It was addressed from her parents. They sent her one often, and it felt a little heartwarming whenever she got one.

They had sent copies of photos from their trip. The couple had been writing about a nearby onsen and the place looked fantastic from the looks of it.

"Who are they?" The flashy spirit peered over Kono's shoulder at the photos, not recognizing the faces.

"My parents." said Kono. She read their message and smiled at how happy they were. Her parents loved their job, despite the fact that they were never home and often working late hours into the night. She hoped one day she'd find a job to love as much they loved theirs. "...Oh."

"What is it?" The spirit asked, hearing the tone in Kono's voice go flat.

"Hm… it's nothing." Kono said. "Nothing unusual anyways."

Kono walked from the mailbox and into the house. Her day wasn't any different than another, though she was lost in thoughts about a different life.


	17. Goodbye Then

One Friday morning, it was announced that Kono would be leaving. On account of her father and mother's work, she would be moving to Tokyo.

There weren't many goodbyes. Kono hadn't interacted with her classmates much, even if she had decided to 'reach out.' In the end, she was used to being alone, and was reluctant to let go of her afternoons in a broccoli forest where the leaves danced a raucous dance and the cold wind greeted her with a whispering embrace.

However, she took the opportunity to say goodbye to Natsume. She caught him on his way home.

"Hello, Natsume." She began, walking up to him from behind. He seemed a little surprised and put out. It looked like he had been planning on approaching her. He just didn't know how.

"Hi, Kono…" His words drifted away, as he thought about what to say next. "Do you move often?"

He caught himself as the question came out like a thought. He tried to recover, but Kono answered back.

"Yes. I'm sure I'll move again before spring ends." Kono was matter-of-fact about it, but she saw Natsume's shoulders drop, as if he pitied her. Well, he was sad for her. 'Pity' wasn't a word Kono would've used. It made the object sound so much sadder.

"But before I do, I wanted to thank you." She continued. Kono folded her hands, feeling awkward, though her face held not an iota of uncertainty. "For helping that one time."

"I didn't do much." Natsume humbly said. "But I'm glad you talked to me."

"…I have to pack for the move, so I'll be leaving now. Have a good day." Kono turned to leave, but Natsume called out to her again. She stopped.

"I… I noticed a spirit has been following you. Are you okay-"

"Just fine." Kono said. "He's my friend."

"Your friend? …That's good." Natsume smiled, a little surprised. Kono managed a little smile of her own, a small upturn of her lips.

"…I'll be going then." Kono said quickly. For some reason, she was more uncertain than ever. So she quickly ended the conversation again. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Natsume said.

The two parted ways.

As Kono walked, she found herself thinking.

"I called him a friend, huh…" It had come out. A simple impulsive thought. And yet it fit, and it didn't feel bad, or false. It was…. a fact.

Kono had once considered herself unnecessary. She didn't matter to Hana or Akihiko, or even her parents or classmates. She was alone and too used to it. And when this false thing had been repeated in her mind long enough, she had refused to believe otherwise and refused to get along with yokai and human alike.

She was unnecessary, and she believed it.

In a way, it removed her feelings on the matter, but some murky feeling swam around saying, "Maybe it isn't true."

And it wasn't. It wasn't a sudden realization either, but bit by bit, the people who mattered most to Kono acknowledged her. And in some way, Kono put aside the thought that she was 'unnecessary' and instead lived with the feeling that she 'wanted to get along.'

And she did. The best she could anyway. It isn't always that easy, is it?


	18. To Another Home

"You have everything, Yuki?" Kono's mother seemed a little out of breath, after checking that all their things had been cleared out of the house.

"I do." Kono replied.

"What about you, Satoshi?" Kono's mother asked her husband, as he stuck his head out of the car. He seemed confuzzled.

"Yeah, uh, actually do you know where my hat is?" He scratched his head.

"Your backpack, honey. I figured you'd leave it in your room again."

"Oh! Yes, there it is, thank you, Chi!" He pulled an old looking hat out of his backpack happily. "Then, that's it! Are we ready to leave?"

"Looks like we are! We're off!" Kono's mother walked to the car. "And sweetie, this time I'm driving."

As the family drove off, Kono looked back at the home. It was a small two-storied house. It had a kitchen, two bedrooms, a single bathroom, a guest room, and a living room. It wasn't a particularly unusual house. Kono would probably forget it years from now. But for some reason, Kono looked back that house as she had the others and tried to remember it.

She had lived there. Many events had happened that wouldn't happen again, and she wanted to remember it all.

"What kind of a place is Tokyo?" The flashy spirit asked.

"...A strange one."

And it was off to another home.


End file.
